Five Suffolk construction gems scoop nominations in the 2008 RICS Awards
Five of Suffolk’s finest construction projects have been shortlisted for the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) East of England Awards 2008.
Altogether a record 29 entries have been shortlisted from across the East of England and will battle it out at the final on Thursday 15 May.
Now in their 18th year, the RICS awards, celebrate and recognise exemplary projects across four categories – building conservation, regeneration, sustainability and community benefit.
The five Suffolk projects shortlisted are:
• Framfield Medical Centre (Woodbridge)
Barefoot and Gilles has been shortlisted in the community benefit category for Framfield Medical Centre. The new medical centre brings together a wide range of new services on a single central site in Woodbridge including physiotherapy and citizens advice. The new carefully planned building has made all the surgery’s facilities, more easily accessible to local residents.
• Bury Abbey (Bury St Edmunds)
St Edmundsbury Borough Council has been shortlisted in the building conservation category for its West Front Restoration project at Bury Abbey in Bury St Edmunds. The grade I listed buildings, located within the ruins of one of the largest former Benedictine Abbeys in Medieval England, have been carefully restored over the past 18 months. The project created modern homes within the buildings, whilst conserving the West Front’s unique and historic qualities.
• The Malthouse (Bury St Edmunds)
The Malthouse in Bury St Edmunds is one of the finalists in the building conservation category. St Matthew Housing has restored the 17th century malthouse, which is now home to a new café, heritage centre, community rooms for hire, accommodation for local people and central offices for the company.
• Theatre Royal (Bury St Edmunds)
The National Trust has been shortlisted in the Building Conservation category for its project to restore the Theatre Royal in Bury St Edmunds. The project has restored the interior to ensure it is in-keeping with the original 1819 façade. The theatre is the sole surviving example of a Regency playhouse in this country and has a fascinating story to tell about a previously missing link in the history of English theatre.
• The Manor (Herringswell, near Newmarket)
City and Country Group has entered The Manor in the building conservation category. The project has seen the sympathetic conversion of a historic manor house and estate buildings, into grand apartments and elegant homes, all set in eight acres of gardens.
David Potter, RICS East of England operations manager, said: “The RICS awards is one of the most important and prestigious international showcases for the property industry. In the East of England we will be recognising and celebrating the projects that have led the way in helping to regenerate and conserve our region over the past year.”
“This year we have received a record-breaking number of entries and as always, all have been of a very high standard. Framefield Medical Centre, Bury Abbey, The Malthouse, Theatre Royal and The Manor have done extremely well to be amongst the finalists and I wish them all the very best of luck in the final.”
The 2008 RICS East of England regional dinner and awards are taking place at The Old Palace, Hatfield House, Hatfield, Hertfordshire. All 220 tickets for the awards have now sold out and attendees will be entertained by special guests, BBC presenter Janine Machin, who will be hosting the event, and John Spence, chairman of Harlow Renaissance, who will be delivering the after dinner speech.
The event is being kindly sponsored by ECA, English Heritage, English Partnerships, Inspire East and Ridgeons.
All of the winners of the RICS East of England Awards 2008 will go through to the RICS Awards international final in London later this year.
